Just like it was drawn up

WARRIORS 103, CELTICS 99 Warriors seize the day, beat Celtics

Published 4:00 am, Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Golden State Warriors Ronny Turiaf and Corey Maggette beat their chests together to celebrate the defeat of the Boston Celtics,103-99, Monday Dec. 28, 2009, at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif.

Golden State Warriors Ronny Turiaf and Corey Maggette beat their chests together to celebrate the defeat of the Boston Celtics,103-99, Monday Dec. 28, 2009, at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif.

Photo: Lacy Atkins, The Chronicle

Image 2 of 8

Golden State Warriors Monte Ellis retrieves an out of bounce pass in the last second of the game and is fouled by Boston Celtics Tony Allen, Monday Dec. 28, 2009, at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif. Warriors defeated the Celtice 103-99. less

Golden State Warriors Monte Ellis retrieves an out of bounce pass in the last second of the game and is fouled by Boston Celtics Tony Allen, Monday Dec. 28, 2009, at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif. Warriors ... more

Photo: Lacy Atkins, The Chronicle

Image 3 of 8

Golden State Warriors' Monta Ellis tries to maintain possession from the floor after slipping in front of Boston Celtics' Rajon Rondo during the first half Monday in Oakland.

Golden State Warriors' Monta Ellis tries to maintain possession from the floor after slipping in front of Boston Celtics' Rajon Rondo during the first half Monday in Oakland.

Photo: Ben Margot, AP

Image 4 of 8

The Golden State Warriors' Ronny Turiaf hits himself after missing two free throws in the first half against the Boston Celtics on Monday at Oracle Arena in Oakland.

The Golden State Warriors' Ronny Turiaf hits himself after missing two free throws in the first half against the Boston Celtics on Monday at Oracle Arena in Oakland.

Photo: Lacy Atkins, The Chronicle

Image 5 of 8

The Golden State Warriors' Monta Ellis gets past the Boston Celtics' Kevin Garnett on Monday at Oracle Arena in Oakland.

The Golden State Warriors' Monta Ellis gets past the Boston Celtics' Kevin Garnett on Monday at Oracle Arena in Oakland.

Photo: Lacy Atkins, The Chronicle

Image 6 of 8

Golden State Warriors head coach Don Nelson yells at the ref over a call in the first half against the Boston Celtics on Monday at Oracle Arena in Oakland.

Golden State Warriors head coach Don Nelson yells at the ref over a call in the first half against the Boston Celtics on Monday at Oracle Arena in Oakland.

Photo: Lacy Atkins, The Chronicle

Image 7 of 8

The Boston Celtics' Rajon Rondo tries to steal the ball from the Golden State Warriors' Monta Ellis but knocks it out in the first half Monday at Oracle Arena in Oakland.

The Boston Celtics' Rajon Rondo tries to steal the ball from the Golden State Warriors' Monta Ellis but knocks it out in the first half Monday at Oracle Arena in Oakland.

Photo: Lacy Atkins, The Chronicle

Image 8 of 8

Just like it was drawn up

1 / 8

Back to Gallery

This is what the Warriors had in mind when they constructed their roster during the offseason:

-- And the Oracle Arena crowd of 19,259 creating a concert-like atmosphere.

On a night in which Andris Biedrins returned to the lineup and Watson returned to his efficient play, the Warriors (9-21) put it all together in a 103-99 surprise over the Eastern Conference-leading Celtics on Monday.

"The force was with us," coach Don Nelson said. "It was a wonderful game for us. Wins are hard to find, especially against two quality teams in a row. We were ready for a bear, and they gave us everything they had."

The Warriors beat Phoenix on Saturday. On Monday, they shot 46 percent from the floor, held an opponent to less than 100 points for the fourth time this season and were nearly even on the boards with Boston to get consecutive wins for the second time this season (they beat Portland and Dallas on Nov. 20 and 24, respectively). They beat Boston in Oakland for the sixth straight time.

The Celtics (23-7) had won 14 of their last 16, including an 11-game winning streak that spanned November and December. Having lost the night before against the Clippers in L.A., they dropped consecutive games for the second time this season.

A beautiful pick-and-roll between Monta Ellis (37 points) and Ronny Turiaf led to a Turiaf layup and a 101-96 lead with 1:58 remaining. Boston cut it to 101-98 with a Kevin Garnett layup at the 1:08 mark.

After the Warriors and Celtics traded missed three-point tries, Corey Maggette missed a shot-clock-beating three-point try and Boston called a timeout with 5.4 seconds left. Ray Allen made the first of two free-throw tries after a Watson foul to cut the lead to 101-99 with 4.4 seconds left. Allen's purposely missed second free-throw attempt, however, didn't draw iron and Ellis hit a pair of free-throw tries to clinch the victory with 2.3 seconds left.

Biedrins, who had missed 25 games with abdominal and groin strains, and Turiaf, who returned from a sprained knee the game earlier, played spirited minutes in combining for five points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Their presence allowed Anthony Randolph to play at his natural power-forward position, and he went for 18 points and nine rebounds.

"It feels awesome," Turiaf said. "My swagger is off the charts right now. I feel like I am the lucky charm."

Ellis, who scored at least 30 points for the fifth time in the last six games, did his normal thing at the guard spot, and he got plenty of backcourt help from Watson. The third-year guard had 11 points, seven assists and a career-high seven steals.

His efforts were in response to a rare string of poor games, Dec. 18-23, during which he averaged 4.7 points on 29.4 percent shooting, 1.7 assists and 0.7 of a steal a game. He has vaulted back with 25 points, 10 rebounds and nine steals in the last two.

"C.J. was as responsible as anyone for the win," Nelson said. "He played the coverage of Ray Allen beautifully. They run so many good things and set so many great screens. What a job C.J. did chasing Allen around."

The Warriors trailed 47-42 after an Allen three-pointer with 5 1/2 minutes left in the first half, and then Watson went into video-game mode. He had three steals in the quarter, scored six points and had an assist during a 2 1/2-minute stretch that put the Warriors up 50-49 with 3:06 remaining. They scored 35 points in the second quarter, the highest total Boston had given up to any team in any quarter this season.

Opening tip: Anthony Morrow said he has started doing shooting drills with balls off the rack instead of off passes in hopes that he'll be invited to participate in the three-point shootout during the All-Star break. The guard led the league in three-point shooting last season (46.7 percent) and is ninth this season (44.4).

'Til Tuesday

The Warriors aren't currently pushing for a second injury exemption, but don't be surprised if they add a player once 10-day contracts are allowed next Tuesday.

The wait would give the front office a chance to see the team play three games with Andris Biedrins and Ronny Turiaf back in the lineup. Also, general manager Larry Riley is attending the NBA Development League showcase next week in Boise, Idaho, where he'll get a first-hand look at players identified by team scouts.

There is a link to small forward Cartier Martin, who played for the Warriors' summer-league team. There are other swingmen who rank among the D-League leaders in scoring and could fit the Warriors' system.

Warriors tonight

Who: Warriors vs. Lakers

Where: Los Angeles

When: 7:30 p.m.

TV/Radio: CSNBA/680

Lakers update: The Western Conference-leading Lakers lead the league in both opponents' field-goal and three-point percentage. ... Los Angeles, which played Phoenix on Monday, is 5-2 in the second games of back-to-backs this season. ... Pau Gasol had eight consecutive double-doubles earlier this month, including three 20-rebound efforts.

- Rusty Simmons

Latest from the SFGATE homepage:

Click below for the top news from around the Bay Area and beyond. Sign up for our newsletters to be the first to learn about breaking news and more. Go to 'Sign In' and 'Manage Profile' at the top of the page.